The Saints' Everlasting Rest - Richard Baxter

Do magistrates among us seriously perform their work? Are they
zealous for God? Do they build up his house? Are they tender of his honor?
Do they second the word and oppose sin and sinners, as the disturbers of our
peace and the only cause of all our miseries? Do they improve all their
power, wealth, and honor, and all their influence, for the greatest advantage
to the kingdom of Christ, as men that must shortly give an account of their
stewardship?
How few are the ministers who are serious in their work! Nay, how
grievously do the very best fail in this! Do we cry out of men's disobedience
to the Gospel "in the demonstration of the Spirit," and deal with sin as the
destroying fire in our towns, and by force pull men out of it? Do we persuade
our people as those should that "know the terrors of the Lord?" Do we press
Christ, and regeneration, and faith, and holiness upon men, believing that,
without these, they can never have life? Do our bowels yearn over the
ignorant, careless, obstinate multitude? When we look them in the face, do
our hearts melt over them, lest we should never see their faces in rest? Do
we, as Paul, "tell them, weeping," of their fleshly and earthly disposition;
"and teach them publicly, and from house to house, at all seasons, and with
many tears?" And do we entreat them, as for their soul's salvation? Or rather,
do we not study to gain the approbation of critical hearers; as if a minister's
business were of no more weight but to tell a smooth tale for an hour, and
look no more after the people till the next sermon? Does not carnal prudence
control our fervor, and make our discourses lifeless on subjects the most
piercing? How gently do we handle those sins which will so cruelly handle
our people's souls! In a word, our want of seriousness about the things of
heaven, charms the souls of men into formality, and brings them to this
customary careless hearing, which undoes them. May the Lord pardon the
great sin of the ministry in this thing and, in particular, my own!
And are the people more serious than magistrates or ministers? How can
it be expected? Reader, look but to thyself and resolve the question. Ask
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